Sherman,
Thanks for that update. My knowledge of Isreal and its birth was gained by reading the 2 volumes of Gen. Moshe Dayans, biography.
It is amazing that in 1948 the combined arab armies strength was close to 1 million, while the total Jewish population was about 600,000 including men, women and children, and still they managed to defeat the arab armies.

February 24th, 2005

SHERMAN

Well, it's true that the combined forces were up to a million, but they only used a few tens of thousends. This was one of their mistakes, they underestimated Israel.

So,

We left the IDF in the early 50's. A small force based on infantry. Like I wrote, the Airborn Infantry made a name for itself, in a few retribution raids, for being the most fearsom element of the IDF. The Airforce was also growing a good reputation, after a few sucsesfull ncounters with Arab and British aircraft.

In 1956, Camal AbdelNasser, President of Egypt, nationalized the suez cannal. He also closed the Straights of Tiran to Israeli shipping, choking of Red Sea merchent shipping and thus posing a startigic threat to Israel. Israel openly stated that this action meant war. Nasser was not intimidated, as his army has just been rebuilt with Soviet weapons(the famous "Czech Weapons Deal"). So, come late 1956, Israel saw two reasons for war with Egypt: firstly, it had to restore it's Red Sea shipping, secondly, the Egytian Army was preparing for war and about to strike at any moment. Also, since the Naionalization of the Suez cannal was an attack on British and French intrests, Israel new it would not fight alone. On October 29th Israel launched its assault. 16 DC47 cargo planes carried 400 Paratroopers to the Mitle passage in Sinai. 3 houres before hand, 4 Mustnag fighters of the IAF flew into egypt and used their wings and propellors to cut down phone lines running from Sinai to to Cairo. This meant that when the Partroopers reached the ground in Sinai, the Egyptians were not sure if a full out war has been opened, or if this is simply a raid. The Paratroopers basically sliced the Sinai *****ula in two, cutting Egyptian forces from each other. The next morning, Israeli Mech Inf and Airborn units, assisted by small armored units, broke into Sinai. The Israelis crushed the Egyptian forces, and were soon deep into Sinai. On the 31st British and French aircraft started the destruction of the Egyptian airforce. By the 5th of November it was all over. Israel took all of Sinai, the Egyptian Army and Airforces were destroyed, and British and French Forces were landed in Port Said. It was at that point that the UN interfered, and Israel, Britain and France were forced to draw their forces of Egytian territory. This was completed in a few weeks.

It would seem than, that no major profit came to Israel from this. This is not the case. The IDF gained many positive results:
* The Egyptian Army would no become a threat for a good fewyears. It simply lost most of it's heavy weapons.
*The IDF finnaly realized and believed it can operate in large formations. *Israels leaders now knew the value of the IDF, and trusted that if developed well it could protect Israel from any agression by the Arabs.

But somthing else changed about the IDF. Though the Paratroopers got the glory for their landing behind enemy lines, it was the armor corps that really proved them selves. Wherever the IDF fielded its tanks it got deep, fast penetration and fast destruction of the Enemy. It was slowly being realised that in desert warfare the tank is un-matched. The Armor Corps would never feel like a step child in the IDF again.

The Israeli Air Force also did well, inflicting some casualties to the Egyptians in the air. But it was not allowed to crush them on the ground like it had planned. This was left to the Brits and French.

Only in the next did the IDF and IAF reach total maturity. Only in the next war did Israel truely adopt the fast pased heavily armored doctorin that it became famous for. And that war will be the subject of my next post.

--

February 24th, 2005

chewie_nz

Quote:

Originally Posted by SHERMAN

3 houres before hand, 4 Mustnag fighters of the IAF flew into egypt and used their wings and propellors to cut down phone lines running from Sinai to to Cairo.

WHAT!!! that's incredible!

February 24th, 2005

bushpig1998

Topic: Re: Israel ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by kotakk

How did such a small country develop such neat firepower,and that
to under what circumstances?Just curious to know how did israel become a major military power?

Same way SA did it during the 70's and 80's....triel, error, beg. borrow, steal, deal.

As mentioned, necessity if the mother and possibly the father of all inventions...

February 24th, 2005

bushpig1998

After WWII most of the Jewish defense used k98's and other German arms...it is very ironic, but it shows what lengths they were willing to got to defend themselves. I have an article in Shotgun News. I'll see if I can scan it and post it here.
The story about using mustang wings and props to cut phone lines are correct.
On a side not, during the mid 80's, CIA surveillance picked up a large flash in the South Atlantic....any uesses as to what happened?

February 24th, 2005

chewie_nz

Quote:

Originally Posted by bushpig1998

After WWII most of the Jewish defense used k98's and other German arms...it is very ironic, but it shows what lengths they were willing to got to defend themselves. I have an article in Shotgun News. I'll see if I can scan it and post it here.
The story about using mustang wings and props to cut phone lines are correct.
On a side not, during the mid 80's, CIA surveillance picked up a large flash in the South Atlantic....any uesses as to what happened?

a nuke was detonated....it was always speculated that SA and Isreal had jointly developed Nuke weapons

February 24th, 2005

bushpig1998

he he he thought I was the only one here that would know about it....it is true. SA helped Israel by providing a testing ground and some technical assistance, and Israel helped SA with procurement of certain materials and eqipement - SA went on to develop 7 tactical nukes...fired from a G5 or G6 arty piece. 6 of them were dismanteled, but there are some speculations at the 7th device, and whether it ever existed. Israel, on the other hand, hide nothing.
Of note is that it is one of these nukes that stopped the Cubans from overrunning SA - never detonated it, but the USA saw our plans and stepped in.

February 25th, 2005

Sexybeast

if we look at the odds in all those wars between isreal and arabian nations, i guess not lots of ppl would think Isreal can survive..

but magically, they win everytime, although not without some terrible costs..